# Ariel Ngueukam

Ariel Thierry Ngueukam (born 15 November 1988), nicknamed "Tuco", is a Cameroonian professional footballer who most recently played as a forward for Filipino club United City.

## Career

Born in Yaoundé, Ngueukam began playing football as a striker with local sides FC Achille de Sa'a and FC Lotus-Terek. After unsuccessful trials with clubs in Hungary and Bulgaria, he signed with Finnish second division club JIPPO, where he scored 13 goals in his first 11 matches.
In 2012, he moved to FC Lahti in the Finnish first division. Ngueukam scored two goals on his debut for FC Lahti on 31 August 2012. Ngueukam signed for Turkish club Denizlispor in January 2013, but returned FC Lahti, playing with them in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He moved to SJK for the 2015 season, and Ilves for the 2017 season.
On 6 November 2017, Ngueukam signed a two-year contract with HJK Helsinki for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In January 2018 Ngueukam joined Al-Khor in Qatar, without having played for HJK.
On 11 July 2018, Ngueukam signed to the Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Ra'anana.
In June 2019 he returned to Finland to sign for KuPS.
In November 2019, it was announced that Tuco would return to SJK for the 2020 season. In the 2021 season he scored 14 goals for SJK in Veikkausliiga, making him the joint top scorer of the season alongside Benjamin Källman.
On 17 March 2022, Ngueukam returned to Ilves for the 2022 season, with an option to extend for 2023. Following a season with the club, he joined IFK Mariehamn for the 2023 season.
In March 2024 he signed for Filipino club United City.

## Career statistics

    As of 5 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| JIPPO | 2011 | Ykkönen | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 6 |
| JIPPO | 2012 | Ykkönen | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 13 |
| JIPPO | Total | Total | 34 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 19 |
| Lahti | 2012 | Veikkausliiga | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 |
| Denizlispor | 2012–13 | TFF 1. Lig | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 10 | 1 |
| Lahti | 2013 | Veikkausliiga | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
| Lahti | 2014 | Veikkausliiga | 29 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 4 | 1 | 36 | 10 |
| Lahti | Total | Total | 37 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 44 | 15 |
| SJK | 2015 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 7 |
| SJK | 2016 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 11 |
| SJK | Total | Total | 64 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 84 | 18 |
| Ilves | 2017 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 15 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 37 | 18 |
| Al-Khor | 2017–18 | Qatar Stars League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 10 | 3 |
| Hapoel Ra'anana | 2018–19 | Israeli Premier League | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 1 |
| KuPS | 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 4 |
| SJK Seinäjoki | 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 4 |
| SJK Seinäjoki | 2021 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 14 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 30 | 18 |
| SJK Seinäjoki | Total | Total | 44 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 18 |
| Ilves | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 27 | 8 |
| IFK Mariehamn | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 6 | 5 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 33 | 8 |
| United City | 2024 | Philippines Football League | 14 | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | 14 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 332 | 113 | 31 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 387 | 134 |

## Honours

Individual
* Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2017
* Veikkausliiga Top scorer: 2021 (14 goals)
* Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: October 2021